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Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2006 09:57:29 -0800
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From: Shirley Hornbeck
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Subject: [ROOTS-L] This and That Tell the World Who You Are
TELL THE WORLD WHO YOU ARE:
The effort to achieve identification is as old - yet as contemporary - as
man. Primitive man gave himself a distinguishing identification by means
of tattoos, scars, bone piercing, hair cuttings and other markings. Indian
tribes adopted special facial colorations and markings, and stylings for
the head and hairpiece. African tribesmen pierce their nose with weird
bone structures. These markings and mutilations all tend to identify the
individual as belonging to a tribe or clan under one cause. Costume is
another means of differentiating one group from another, i.e. the sari of
India, the kilt of the highlander, the tunic of ancient Rome. We still see
that today with groups, clubs and even gangs and their attire and tattoos.
Soon after the Crusades in Europe, many people began to feel the need for
family names which would identify them. The nobles were the first to adopt
surnames, usually from the names of the lands they owned. Soon others did
the same. Surname can be classified in four categories: Local surnames,
kinship surnames, pet names and nicknames, occupational surnames. The
local surname was derived from the place where the man once held land or
where he once lived. Kinship names derived from the father is common in
most countries. The addition of -son to a name would identify the
offspring of a person. Pet names and nicknames were given to someone with
some noticeable characteristic so he would be remembered, i.e. "Red",
"Shorty", etc. Occupational surnames refer to the services one might offer
such as Carpenter, Miller, etc.
Another method of identification arose in the Middle Ages to identify one
from another. During the Crusades, the knight, completely covered from
head to toe with his armor, came to identify himself with his shield and
his Coat of Arms. Many families can associate themselves with coats of
arms dating back to medieval times.
Coats of arms were granted to persons by the King. Originally a Coat of
Arms was a surcoat (i.e., the cloth coat worn over armor to keep off the
sun and rain) with symbols painted on it to distinguish which individual
was wearing said armor, in the hope of avoiding friendly fire. The crest
was the device worn on the helmet for the same reason. Rules vary from
country to country as to who can or cannot use a particular set of arms.
The crest is part of the arms. Arms were never issued to entire families,
but to an individual and inherited by the eldest son. Until his father
died, a son could only display the crest.
Grant of arms reposed in the king in most, if not all, countries, but was
generally delegated to the College of Arms (England) or equivalent. In many
jurisdictions anyone can register arms with the appropriate authority.
More tips at my This and That Genealogy Tip site, url in my signature below.
Shirley Hornbeck THIS & THAT GENEALOGY TIPS: